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| Elk calf was standing in field beside last tree (photo right) |
Queen
Bess sits at attention in the evenings and watches for anything that moves – or
smells. Mike and I were watching TV about 8:30 last night (Monday, June 6),
when Bess took to barking. Looking out the south window, we were at first
stunned to see a huge animal standing beside the far tree at the pond. Mike
identified it as a young elk, but it was BIG. Bess stood stock-still at the
edge of the field. Nobody moved. Not even the coyote sitting further west and
closer to the house than the elk.
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| Elk calf at far tree; coyote on rise closer to house |
Eventually
the scene shifted. First the coyote stood up, moved into the draw, and was gone from
sight. The elk then loped along in the same direction. It had been a hot day and was still warm. He probably just wanted a
drink from the pond, and I don't know if he accomplished his mission. Bess then relaxed and went back to her perch for more watching
and waiting.
It
was then that I saw another coyote in June’s field on the other side of the
pond. It, too, turned tail and left, heading to the east. Well, and I just have
to wonder – were those two coyote thinking they might gang up on that young
elk as it drank from the pond?
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| Watchful Mother? |
You
might think that’s the end of the story, but Mike looked out later and saw an
elk in the distance – clear out near the trees on the far side of the south
field. I decided I had time to
get a picture. It was a long way off, and Mike wondered if I could get
pictures, but I was confident I would get a picture adequate to help tell the story.
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| Then she turned to face the house. |
This
was not the same elk we saw earlier. I think the second elk was the cow keeping a
watchful eye over her young offspring. KW
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| She's there in front of the trees in center of picture. You just can't see her. |
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ReplyDeleteJust when you think you may have lost a follower, it's time for for me to offer an apropos comment. Thanks for your gift and commitment to photography. It's my personal opinion that we are both blessed to live in places that give us unbelievable opportunities for viewing some of the most spectacular scenery that we can even imagine. I continue to be a devout subscriber to the "old master painter" theory of credit. Just can't imagine any other explanation for such awesome and majestic vistas. I know that each time you see your pictures posted, you must feel blessed to live in such a place. keep up the good work and be advised that the River House is nearing completion if Mike feels an uncontrollable urge to re-visit some of his childhood memories.
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